Howard Marsden R.I.P.

[SKY031]

(Source; The Age)

Polite, urbane, charming and, above all, immensely knowledgeable about all things related to motor racing, Howard Marsden spent a life in the fast lane.

But despite his 40-year exposure to the hyped world of the racetrack, Marsden always exuded a sense of calm dignity and understood that success, while mainly due to hard work and painstaking preparation, occasionally owed more than a little to serendipity and chance.

The 61-year-old, who died last week after a seven-month battle with cancer, was a high achiever in his chosen career.

Over the years the English-born Marsden managed race teams, drivers and competition programs at top international levels for companies such as Ford and Nissan and worked with formula one icons such as John Surtees - the only man to have won the world championship on two wheels and four - and Sir Frank Williams, for whom he was once company manager.

In his most recent position - head of Ford Australia's motor sport program - the tall, lean, softly spoken Marsden was a familiar figure in the media room at V8 supercar rounds, from where he inevitably watched proceedings unfold on closed-circuit monitors.

He was always happy to explain the ins and outs of the Ford teams' set-ups on different tracks and to decode the nuances of things such as tyre performance for journalists, this one included, who couldn't quite get their head around the subject. Never was he patronising and never did he take anyone's knowledge for granted.

Although Ford teams were at this time regularly taking a pounding from the Holden squads, he met defeat with good grace and never tried to make excuses. It is a cruel irony that this year, the season that Ford has turned the corner and dominated Holden, his illness meant he was rarely to be seen.

Before taking on the role as general manager of Ford Racing in 1999, Marsden had worked for Tickford Vehicle Engineering (now FPV) since 1992 as product planning manager.

Dual Bathurst winner and 1995 V8 supercar champion John Bowe echoed the feelings of Ford drivers when he reflected on the legacy of success Marsden brought the company in Australia. "You look back to the early 1970s and it was Howard, Allan Moffat and the GTHO Falcons that were winning everything. Howard came in again in 1999 and he set about putting plans in place to see Ford return to the front.

"He was fully aware that it was not going to happen overnight and this year's results with seven wins from eight races are due to the planning he put in place."

Marsden started his involvement with Ford's European racing programs in 1963, while as a sideline he and the company prepared cars for the films Grand Prix and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He also helped set up a race team for American actor and renowned petrolhead, the late Steve McQueen.

Marsden moved to Australia and in 1971 became manager of the Falcon touring car program, introducing the Falcon GTHO Phase III and Phase IV.

After Ford decided to step back, Marsden moved to Datsun/Nissan, where he masterminded four Australian Rally Championship wins from 1976-79 with Ross Dunkerton, George Fury and Geoff Portman.

In the 1980s he returned to circuit racing when he directed Nissan's Australian touring car championship program, scoring class victories at Bathurst. He was also part of the Japanese company's entry into world sportscar racing, including Nissan's bid to win the famous 24-hour race at Le Mans.

Nissan turned to circuit racing in the 1980s and Marsden directed Nissan's Australian Touring Car Championship program before returning to Europe, where he was involved in Nissan's rally and sports car racing programs.

Marsden is survived by his wife, Christine, and daughter Samantha and son Grant.

[HSVKLR]

What a great man, and his death a great loss.

The success that Ford are currently experiencing in V8Supercars is directly attributable to his dedication to Ford's V8Supercar programme. I am a huge Ford supporter and thank him for his efforts over the years. I can now hold my head high and proud.

Vale, Howard Marsden

[SKY031]

uh....... well I posted this mainly for his contributions to Nissan.

I guess that nobody has heard of him...

When Barry Sheene died, there were pages of posts for him, and I can't recall Bazz doing too much for Nissan.

Marsden however, did great things for Nissan, and even if everyone here is too young to remember it, then they should at least be made aware of his contributions to motorsport and the Nissan name.

:uh-huh:

[Mick Trainer]

I had the pleasure of having dinner with Howard a few years back. He was a great guy who achieved much in motor sport and his influence on the Bathurst Winning GTR's as well as the current ford and the GTHO's of the past cannot be underestimated. He was a real gentlemen who had a great love and knowledge for his craft and achieved more doing it than most. His loss will be sorly felt in the motor sport community.

RIP.

[PHaT MR30]

A sad day in the motorsport community, will be greatly missed.. you cannot over look the efforts of marsden in the 80s with such great teams like the Group C bluebird driven by Fury.

As said, nissan motorsport fans will be devastated

[Sydneykid]

I was devastated and still am, he went too early.

[Silver-Arrowz]

Guys like Marsden are the unsung hero's. They deserve better.

R.I.P.

[CONAN]

Rest In Peace